Talkin Sport - VODAFONE AUCKLAND LIONS

STRONG LINE-UP AGAIN AS VODAFONE AUCKLAND LIONS SEEK BACK-TO-BACK WINS.

The Vodafone Auckland Lions will again have ample NRL experience when they tackle the Newcastle Knights in Saturday night’s New South Wales Premier League match at Mt Smart Stadium.

Despite former Kiwi international Louis Anderson being a late injury defection, the Auckland side still boasted seasoned Vodafone Warriors first graders as it pushed on to beat Wests Magpies last Sunday.

The 42-22 margin was the biggest of the six wins the Vodafone Auckland Lions have so far posted in their debut season in the competition. The total of 42 points was also their best of the year to date while winger Malo Solomona became the team’s first player to score three tries in a match.

With the Vodafone Warriors again having all 25 players available, the Vodafone Auckland Lions have eight NRL squad members included in their side this week. Anderson is back in the team for Saturday’s match along with fellow NRL squad members Tony Martin, Todd Byrne, Lance Hohaia, Patrick Ah Van, Aidan Kirk, Sonny Fai and Corey Lawrie

Martin scored 14 points from a try and five goals in his first game in premier league last weekend while Hohaia collected a try-scoring double. Selected at hooker last week, Hohaia was today named to start at halfback with Lawrie reverting to the No 9’s role he filled for a few games recently.

While the Vodafone Auckland Lions had a convincing victory over the Magpies it didn’t help their cause to close the gap on the top eight. They remain four points away but a win over a strong Newcastle side would provide a major boost in their late claim for a spot in the finals.

Set to feature again as key points-scoring weapons, as they have all season, will be Solomona and second rower Sonny Fai.

They’re now locked in a tense tussle to finish the season as the team’s leading try-scorer. Earlier on Fai (19) was way out on his own but Solomona (20) has drawn level with him after an impressive streak over the last few weeks, scoring a total of seven tries in the team’s last four matches.

His three-try haul against the Magpies boosted his total to 12 tries from 16 games while Fai has the same total from 17 games.

VODAFONE AUCKLAND LIONS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
5.15pm, Saturday, July 28
VODAFONE AUCKLAND LIONS

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